At present commonly used feeding methods for quail involve either manually spreading the feed on the ground, mechanically spraying feed from a bin with a rotating impeller, or offering feed at ground level from a gravity type container. All three methods result in the loss of feed to animals other than quail.
Manually spreading feed on the ground is labor intensive and wasteful. The feed so spread is available to animals other than quail and is liable to contamination and spoilage.
Mechanical spray feeders scatter feed on small plots of ground at specified time intervals using timers and energy sources such as batteries. The spray feeder also has shortcomings. Mechanical and electrical parts are subject to malfunction. The battery must be recharged or replaced periodically. Spray feeders usually are not adjustable for different size feeds. Feed is sprayed on the ground at regulated times whether target species are present or not. Spray feeding, like manual feeding, therefore, is wasteful.
Gravity feeders presently available incur excessive loss to rodents. Furthermore, repeated feeding from the same ground promotes the spread of internal parasites and disease.
Our invention is a stationary feeder that goes far toward eliminating the defects of both the spray feeders and the gravity feeders currently in use.